Incinerating waste is a known alternative to burying waste or transporting it to another location. In order to reduce ash and smoke released during waste incineration (particulate release), a flow of high velocity air has been used to provide an “air curtain” over a fire pit or firebox in which the waste is burned.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,739,712; 4,756,258; and 6,766,750 disclose towable apparatus comprising a fan and manifold assembly that can be located at the edge of a fire pit, such as may be found at a landfill site. In some locations, however, it is not possible or permissible to dig a fire pit, for example locations having a high water table, hard rock layers, sandy soil, or large tree root systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,113 describes a portable apparatus for air curtain incineration comprising a firebox, fan, and manifold assembly mounted on a support frame having underlying skids, whereby the apparatus may be loaded onto a flatbed truck for transport to a desired site, for example a development site where vegetation is being cleared. While this portable apparatus removes the need for digging a fire pit, it requires the use of a flatbed truck, and significant time and effort are required each time the apparatus is loaded onto or unloaded from the truck. Maneuverability of a flatbed truck into confined or steep areas also presents a problem in some cases.
Many wildfire prone communities of the Western United states have programs that require property owners to remove excess vegetation and green waste from their property to help prevent or contain forest fires. As a result, local landfills are becoming overburdened with green waste which uses up valuable landfill space.
In agricultural settings, green waste is generated by clearing, trimming, and pruning operations. In a grove where fruit or nut trees must be removed due to disease or infestation, it is undesirable to uproot and haul the affected trees to a clearing because this may spread the disease or infestation to healthy trees along the way.
Therefore, a need exists for an environmentally friendly incineration apparatus which is highly portable, does not require a fire pit, can be towed by a conventional pickup truck or other vehicle, involves minimal set up and take down time, and is sized to reach locations that larger incineration apparatus cannot reach.